I, Wm. H. Broadnax of the county of Dinwiddie do make the following
will and testament:

I desire that there shall be
no division of my estate while my wife and children remain unmarried
and the latter under age, but that it shall be kept as an aggregate
fund during that period, and managed for general support of my wife
and children. I wish my children (and whenever I use that term I
mean such as I now have or may hereafter be born to me) educated
with the greatest attention to their moral and literary improvement,
and as good manner as this property may appear to justify. When my
wife shall marry (should she choose to do so), if neither of my
children should have attained lawful age or married, I wish
one-third part of my estate of every description allotted to her for
life with remainder to issue as hereafter mentioned. Should my wife
have remained single when my first child shall marry or attain to
lawful age, I wish that child to receive his or her full portion of
my estate on that account, that is an equal portion in regard to all
my children (or issue per sterpes) at that time with the exception
of my wife's one-third part, and so on in succession as they become
of age or marry. If my wife still remains single which will leave
one-third part for life for her when the last child shall receive
its portion. In which event after the first allotment and until the
last I still wish the estate ( except the part or parts allotted
off) to be kept together as aforesaid for my wife and remaining
child or children. Should my wife marry subsequently to my first,
and previously to my last child's marriage or coming of age, I wish
my whole estate then finally divided as aforesaid. And on the death
of my wife, I devise and bequeath all the property lent her for life
to be equally divided among my children (or their issue at the time
of my death as per sterpes as the case may be).

Should either of my children die under age
without issue I wish the interest of such child in my estate or any
property acquired from my estate to go to my then surviving child or
children or the then issue (per sterpes) of any that may be dead. I
bequeath my gold watch and portrait to my wife and at her death or
marriage to my son David. I invest my executors with ample power to
manage, sell, or exchange or otherwise dispose of by changing the
nature of any part of my estate real or personal as may in the
judgement best comport with the interest and comfort of my family.
My intention being to obviate as far as possible the inconvenience
to which estates are often subjected from the want of authority
which would be used by a prudent man, while living the managment of
his affairs and having full confidence that in the execution of
these discretionary powers the will as far as prudent consult the
wishes of my wife. I owe very little except the sum of one thousand
dollars to my son David bequeathed to him by my late friend and
relation Dr. David Walker, which I wish paid him on his attaining
age (but without interest) over and above his proportion of my
estate unless he should then be my only son, in which event I wish
interest also added from the time I received it. On the other hand a
great many debts are due me ( I suppose about fifteen thousand
dollars of each. as are solvent), these are in various amounts and
different degrees of liquidation and safety. I earnestly recommend
to my executors the providence and expediency of proceeding
forthwith (by the aid of collection when they cannot in person
attend to it) to bond all my fee accounts not paid on application-
well knowing the great lapses for which claims for professional
services are incident if not speedily closed after the death of the
creditor. The policy will. no doubt strike my executors as equally
obvious, to collect with all reasonable dispatch all my outstanding
particularly the smaller ones, whether bonded or not to avoid the
liability to loss and to enable them to accommodate the pecuniary
funds of the estate and put it out at interest by investing it in
stocks or lending to individuals on good security. Whether the bulk
of my estate be sold or not, there are many things which will be of
no present use to my family, but become less valuable by being kept,
such for instance as my law library and many of my other books which
will have to be disposed of and the avails of which mill add to the
sum collected from my debts. I recommend to my wife and to my
executors- at their discretion to see that the infant 'children of
my deceased relative, John B. Broadnax are as comfortably provided
for as may be, and if their own little property proves insufficient
for the purpose,. I authorize the discretionary donation to each or
all of them as may stand in immediate need of such sum or sums not
to exceed," in all five hundred dollars, as my executors may think
proper. But in conferring this power on my executors I do not mean
an absolute bequest-or to vest such right in them, as could be
judicially asserted. And lastly I nominate and appoint my friends,
John Grammer, Jr., Thomas Withers and my son, David W. Broadnax,
when he attains to lawful age, executors of my last will and
testament, and guardian to my children, directing that in neither
capacity is security to be required .of them, but that a list of my
debts and an inventory and appraisement of my estate be made. In
conclusion I earnestly request that each of them undertake the trust
reposed in them. In testimony whereof I hereto subscribe my name (
the whole being written in my own hand) this 29th day of April one
thousand eight hundred and twenty-eight.

Wm. H. Broadnax.

April 16th, 1830--- In the event my executors
deeming it advisable to sell the whole part of my estate real and
personal instead of keeping it or any part of it together, which I
now think will be the most judicious course, particularly as my wife
intimates an intention to not to reside on my estate or keep house
with any of the slaves, but which sale of the mansion house I do not
wish affected contrary to her wish while she remains unmarried. I
wish her to have for life as her part of my estate the use of
one-third part of all the money of which my estate may then consist,
that is the annual interest:- the principal at her death to revert
to my estate as within prescribed.

Written with my own hand this last day above,

Wm. H. Broadnax.

Erasures on the second and third pages and above erasure on the.
other page and introduction of two new lines made with my own
handwriting.

Wm. H. Broadnax.

I, Wm. H. Broadnax on the 3rd day of September,
1834 make the following Codicil all in my own handwriting, to the
will I have heretofore made that is to say-- I own and have paid for
several slaves which I have loaned on hire to John H. Davis, there
are eight or nine, at this time I wish him or his wife, should she
survive him, to be allowed to redeem the said slaves by paying to my
executors all the original purchase money l paid for them, with
legal interest thereon upon the time I respectively at which I paid
for them, together with any other sum he may owe me or on other
accounts, but the privilege must be availed of us to all or none-
that is not to allow such to be redeemed as have. increased in value
while others are left to my estate. If however he or she should
desire to take only such a part as in the opinion of my executors
who alone are to decide on it would render the terms of redemption
just, in reference to the whole, they may at their discretion assent
to it. I would recommend to my executors to sell all my blooded
horses at public auction in Petersburg or Richmond. Some statement
in my former will as to my pecuniary circumstances have since been
greatly altered by having purchased many thousand dollars worth of
property. In doing so I am in doubt now to the amount of which my.
account will show to my deceased brothers estate to the legatee's of
the Hill's estate as a commissioner (beyond the amount I have
deposited in the Virginia Bank of Petersburg to my credit on that
account and fifteen thousand dollars which J. Y. Mason Esq. has used
of that fund by my consent and is to retain, I having undertaken to
settle with all concerned) to Cunningham's Trust Fund and for
thirty-four hundred borrowed, but there are, I estimate separate
debts due to me to the amount of eight or nine thousand dollars more
than all I owe. I repeat my intention to give my executors power to
sell any portion or all of my estate real or personal here or in
Alabama, should I have acquired any there, as I now anticipate,
confident that such a power may become expedient. and will not be
indiscreetly executed, I mean also to include the power of purchase
any which may be found necessary. Should my wife die or marry before
most of my children attain age, I recommend the policy of at once
selling Kingston and boarding them out. It is too large for any one
of them to own, I recommend to all my children my anxious desire
that they should always treat their mother affectionately and
respectfully. and if any advice from a father who tenderly, loves
them, and has devoted his life to endeavoring to provide for them to
the best of his ability could exert influence over them, I beg them
to regard me as speaking to them from a grave where I shall be
before they read this and earnestly impressing on them, as the most
valuable legacy I could leave them. My last and most anxious advice
- that-they will endeavor as an object in comparison with which all
others are utterly worthless; to "remember their Creator in the days
of their youth", and exert themselves to be fitted and prepared for
that Heaven where a devoted father here in humble reliance and a
Crucified redeemer hopes to be before them, and to be ready to meet
them once more.

I desire that no security be required of my executors, as I have
the fullest confidence in their integrity.

Subscribed by me this date above mentioned.

Fm. H. Broadnax.

Dinwiddie County, October 20, 1834.

I, Wm. H. .Broadnax do make this further codicil
to my will and codicils. I hereby authorize my executors heretofore
named to move to the western country all of those slaves which I
have designed moving, which slaves are known to them and to purchase
those slaves for which I have partially contracted, to be also
reserved with their females, which I now own; and to manage them
when so removed as they please, either to hire or sell them or to
buy land and settle them as they think best.

Given under my hand this 20th day of October 1834. Signed,
acknowledged and declared as his last will in the presence of:-

Thomas Whithers, Esq.,
W. H. Clark,
John Grammer, Jr.

Wm. H. Broadnax.

At a Court held for Dinwiddie County on the 15th
day of December 1834. These writings purporting to be the last will
and testament of Wm. H. Broadnax deceased, and codicils to the same
were produced in court by Thomas withers, Jr., and Wm. H. Clark,
were sworn and severally deposed that they are well acquainted with
the testator's handwriting, and verily believe the writings bearing
dates respectively on the 29th of April 1828, the 16th of April 1830
find the 3rd of September 1834, and the name hereto subscribed to be
wholly written by the testator's own hand and the writing bearing
date the 20th of October 1834 was proved by the oaths of said Thomas
Withers and Wm. H. Clark subscribing witnesses to the same,
whereupon the said writings are ordered to be recorded as the true
last will and testament of the said Wm. Broadnax deceased. And on
the motion of said Thomas Withers, Jr. who made oath thereto, and
entered into and acknowledged bond in the penalty of one hundred
thousand dollars conditioned as the law directs, certificate is
granted him for obtaining a probat of the said will in due form.

John Grammar, Jr. another executor named in the will appeared in
Court and refused to take upon himself the burden of the executor
thereof.

Teste
J. P. Crump, C. D. C.

At a Court held for Dinwiddie County, the 15th of July 1844.

On the motion of David W. Broadnax, executor
named in the said will, who made oath thereto, and entered into and
acknowledged bond in the penalty of one hundred thousand dollars
conditioned as the law directs; Certificate is granted him for
obtaining probat thereof in due form.